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PATENT TROLL UNDER THE TRACKS: Patent trolls have become a big issue for transit agencies and riders — patent assertion entities, as they probably prefer to be called, scoop up patents and then charge licensing fees or sue companies using certain technologies. In the transit world, they’ve targeted agencies for their real-time arrival and tracking systems. But the transit fans are fighting back. House T&I member Dan Lipinski rolls out a new report today that looks at the damaging effects on several public entities, including a “shakedown” of transit systems; the Chicago-area Metra has been one of the targets. Lipinski also wrote FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez asking for an investigation of the issue. Transit providers are “not in a position to defend themselves well in these lawsuits,” Lipinski told MT. “Transit agencies are really hard-hit these days. We need to do all we can help them.” Lipinski’s not the only one taking action — APTA has filed a lawsuit against the “trolls.” Read the letter (http://politico.pro/14q1cx1) and check out the full report (http://politico.pro/1cjnbJ2). And The Wall Street Journal has more on the APTA suit: http://on.wsj.com/19AUN5I

HEADS UP — Golden Fleece: Taxpayers for Common Sense gives out another Golden Fleece award today — and transportation-watchers might want to keep an eye on this one. Started in 1975 by Wisconsin Democratic Sen. William Proxmire and then revived in 2000 by Taxpayers, the award goes to what the group sees as wasteful and unneeded spending. There’s been a lot of transportation ones over the years — the first one under the Taxpayers era went to the FAA for leases at Tampa’s airport. There was also a recent one for the WAVE4 Act and its help of commercial barge operators. The most famous one, of course, was the “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska. Keep your eyes peeled right here around 10 a.m.: http://bit.ly/17bEL1f

‘FROM PATCHWORK TO NETWORK’: UPS COO David Abney has a busy day today — he’s got a morning speech at the Alternative Clean Transportation Expo before afternoon testimony at the House T&I special panel on freight. MT sat down with Abney to chat about his testimony, next year’s transportation bill and the calls for greater spending on infrastructure. “The need is very real,” he said of the nation’s transportation system. UPS uses almost all parts of the transportation network — from aviation to water to rail to roads — which gives it a 30,000 foot view of the issues that many are looking at with a microscope. With that in mind, his testimony will talk about “how to go from a patchwork to a network,” he said (one idea: the Projects of National and Regional Significance program). And this part should be music to Bill Shuster’s ears: “We think the federal government has got to take the lead,” he told MT. UPS is also part of the chorus calling for a gas tax increase indexed to inflation, but only if the money isn’t siphoned away for use on non-transport projects.

THUD TIME: The Senate Appropriations THUD panel approved its fiscal 2014 spending bill by voice vote in a lightning quick markup with no amendments. What does an extra $10 billion above the House counterpart buy? $1.45 billion for Amtrak, much higher than the House’s $950 million, and $550 million for TIGER grants, which the House zeroed out in its version. Kathryn has much more for Pros: http://politico.pro/10j2z1f

Hey Joe: Amtrak head Joe Boardman said the $1.45 billion is “a realistic and workable number” — but not ideal. “Even at this funding level, however, there is a significant amount of critical backlog infrastructure work that will not get done.”

What’s next: Both the House and Senate bills hit the full committee on Thursday (the House meeting was rescheduled from today).

Price check: At the House markup, THUD member David Price will offer an amendment to boost Amtrak’s funding back to the pre-sequester level of $1.3 billion, according to an aide. It’s unlikely to pass the GOP-dominated committee, but the TTD, AFL-CIO is rallying for support. In a letter to House members, TTD head Edward Wytkind said that “If this amendment is not adopted, the safety and efficiency of the rail system will be threatened and middle-class jobs will be at risk at a time when Amtrak is more popular and self-sufficient than ever.” Read it: http://politico.pro/19qHWGC

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TRUCKERS’ CAFE: A new round of fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles is part of President Barack Obama's climate plan, with a goal of beginning them after 2018. Bring it on, says the American Trucking Associations. ATA’s members have been “enthusiastic supporters” of the most recent CAFE standards for heavy duty vehicles, spokesman Sean McNally said. But on the other hand is OOIDA, whose Ryan Bowley says the new rules could boost the cost of a truck to $200,000 — “and then who is going to buy a truck that expensive?”

MOVING ON: Karmen Fore, deputy chief of staff for outspoken infrastructure advocate and senior T&I member Peter DeFazio, will be Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber’s new transportation adviser. Fore noted “many years working for a wonderful member of Congress and with a great team of colleagues in Oregon and Washington, D.C.,” in an email obtained by MT.

In other DeFazio news: Ed Markey won the special election for John Kerry’s Senate seat — should DeFazio’s beat out Raul Grijalva for the Natural Resources ranking membership, T&I Dems will be in the market for a new leader on the highways and transit panel.

BACK IT UP: Kathryn got her hands on the letter Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood sent to Senate Commerce leaders last week breaking the news of a delay in the long-anticipated rule on back-up cameras in cars. LaHood explained that the delay — until early 2015 — gives NHTSA more time to “ensure all aspects of the rule are supported by robust analysis and that any additional societal impacts are examined.” The outgoing secretary said the rule is particularly important to DOT because of back-over crashes’ outsized impact on children. Using data from vehicles already equipped with “rear visibility systems” will help it refine “how the proposed requirements address the real world safety risk,” LaHood wrote. Read the letter: http://politico.pro/10RllPD

Not happy: Jackie Gillan of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety wrote to MT to say the delay is “outrageous” and that instead pursuing a New Car Assessment Program update “is unacceptable and unworthy of this Administration.”

MT POLL — Who acts first on funding? Who comes out with a big transportation proposal first? EPW Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, T&I’s Bill Shuster or President Barack Obama? Maybe the states are the real pioneers and have already come up with more creative ideas than D.C. ever could. Vote before Sunday at noon: http://bit.ly/12kdTGC

THE COUNTDOWN: It’s been 59 days since President Obama announced the nomination of Anthony Foxx as transportation secretary. DOT funding and passenger rail policy both run out in 97 days. Surface transportation policy is up in 465 days and FAA policy in 827 days. The mid-term elections are in 496 days.

CABOOSE — The Rolling (down the track) Stones: Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger posted a picture of himself and drummer Charlie Watts taking the Amtrak to D.C., saying they “had a great train ride to Washington DC.” The band played the final show of its “50 and Counting” tour on Monday in the District. http://bit.ly/14WxB0D (h/t Kevin Robillard)

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